Gastric belt

Abstract

A gastric belt has a wall of a chamber ( 3 ) forming a working face ( 5 ) with a length (l 5 ) in the flat position of the belt. The length (l 5 ) is equal to or greater than a length (l 4 ) of the wall of the chamber ( 3 ), which forms the back side ( 4 ) in such a way that when the belt is fastened in the form of a circle and is inflated, the chamber wall forms folds.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An inflatable gastric belt comprising:
 an elongated tubular body ( 2 ) with an inflation end ( 12 ) and a free end ( 16 ), made of supple material which is, in part at least, elastically deformable, which defines a tight inflatable chamber ( 3 ) with ends and which can be in a deflatable state and a back ( 4 ) formed by a wall of the chamber ( 3 ) and a work face ( 5 ) which is formed by another wall of the chamber ( 3 ), 
 connecting means ( 10 , 11 ) arranged relative to the two ends ( 12 ,  16 ) of the tubular body ( 2 ) and allowing the belt to close in the form of a ring, the work face ( 5 ) being arranged inside the ring, 
 
       an inflation catheter ( 14 ) with a free end ( 26 ) and tightly connected to the inflatable chamber and intended to be connected to the inflation means, wherein the wall of the chamber ( 3 ) forming the work face ( 5 ), has, in the deflated state of the belt, a length (l 5 ) greater than or equal to the length (l 4 ) of the wall of the chamber ( 3 ) forming the back ( 4 ), such that, during closing of the belt and after inflation, the wall of the chamber, constituting the work face ( 5 ), forms folds ( 30 ) such that a section of passage as a result of closing of the belt into the ring is hypocycloidal-shaped and wherein each fold comprises a fold in the work face ( 5 ) with regions of the work face on either side of the fold in contact with each other. 
     
     
       2. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein any point of a wall of the chamber ( 3 ) has, on an internal face thereof at least one groove ( 35 ) of longitudinal direction, for defining an internal duct for circulation of an inflation fluid at the folds ( 30 ). 
     
     
       3. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the internal face of a wall of the chamber ( 3 ) comprises at least one row of parallel longitudinal grooves ( 35 ). 
     
     
       4. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the at least one groove is arranged on the internal face of a wall of the chamber ( 3 ) forming the back ( 4 ) of the belt. 
     
     
       5. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein an internal face of a wall of the chamber ( 3 ) forming the back ( 4 ) of the belt comprises two rows of parallel longitudinal grooves ( 35 ), each row being situated near an edge ( 36 ) of the back ( 4 ) of the belt. 
     
     
       6. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the wall of the chamber ( 3 ), forming the work face ( 5 ), comprises means for locally limiting the elasticity ( 37 ) of the wall ( 5 ). 
     
     
       7. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the work face has longitudinal edges and in that the locally limiting means of the elasticity ( 37 ) occupy a median longitudinal region of the work face, such that, during inflation of the belt, the longitudinal edges of the work face dilate more than the median region of said work face. 
     
     
       8. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the local limitation means of the elasticity ( 37 ) comprise a local extra thickness of the wall of the chamber ( 3 ) making up the work face of the belt ( 5 ). 
     
     
       9. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the inflatable chamber ( 3 ) has longitudinal edges ( 44 ) and in that each longitudinal edge ( 44 ) of the inflatable chamber ( 3 ) is situated at a distance from a corresponding longitudinal edge ( 36 ) of the body ( 2 ) of the belt. 
     
     
       10. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the inflatable chamber ( 3 ) has longitudinal edges ( 44 ) and in that each longitudinal edge ( 44 ) of the inflatable chamber ( 3 ) is situated at a distance (d 4l ) from a corresponding longitudinal edge of the body ( 2 ) of the belt, between 0.50 mm and 2 mm. 
     
     
       11. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the wall of the inflatable chamber ( 3 ), forming the back ( 4 ) of the belt, comprises at least one longitudinal inextensible and supple fitting ( 40 ), such as to promote centripetal deformation of the chamber ( 3 ), when the belt is closed during inflation. 
     
     
       12. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the body ( 2 ) is injection-moulded around the inextensible fitting ( 40 ) and forms a one-piece unit which completely encloses said inextensible fitting ( 40 ). 
     
     
       13. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the connecting means ( 10 ,  11 ) comprise:
 in relation to the inflation end ( 12 ) of the body ( 2 ), a connecting tail ( 13 ) of the catheter ( 14 ) on the inflatable chamber ( 3 ), 
 and, in relation to the free end ( 16 ) of the body ( 2 ), at least one bow ( 20 ) for receiving the connecting tail ( 13 ). 
 
     
     
       14. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the connecting tail ( 13 ) comprises at least anti-return locking means ( 22 ) for cooperating with the bow ( 20 ). 
     
     
       15. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the anti-return locking means comprise at least a configuration ( 22 ) as a spruce tree or arrow. 
     
     
       16. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the bow ( 20 ) is arranged at the back of the belt. 
     
     
       17. The inflatable gastric belt as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the connecting means ( 11 ) comprise at least two aligned bows, a first bow ( 20 ), and a second bow ( 21 ), the first bow ( 20 ) being situated closest to the free end ( 16 ) of the body ( 2 ) having a width (l 20 ), measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body, greater than a width (l 21 ) of the second bow ( 21 ), so as to define a tunnel for guiding the catheter ( 14 ) towards the second bow. 
     
     
       18. The gastric belt as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the bow ( 20 ) has a width measured parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body greater than 5 mm. 
     
     
       19. The gastric belt as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the bow ( 20 , 21 ) has an internal face, which has striae ( 25 ) parallel to the longitudinal axis (Δ) of the body ( 2 ), so as to reduce friction as the catheter passes. 
     
     
       20. The gastric belt as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the catheter ( 14 ) is covered in a product with low friction coefficient. 
     
     
       21. The gastric belt as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one end ( 45 ) of the inflatable chamber ( 3 ) is situated at a distance from the free end ( 16 ) of the body ( 2 ) to define a reinforced grip end. 
     
     
       22. The gastric belt as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the distance (d 45 ) between at least one end ( 45 ) of the inflatable chamber ( 3 ) and the free end ( 16 ) of the body ( 2 ) is greater than or equal to 1.50 mm at the reinforced grip end. 
     
     
       23. The gastric belt as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the at least one bow ( 20 ), in relation near the free end ( 16 ) of the body ( 2 ), is placed at a distance (d 20 ) of less than 5 mm. 
     
     
       24. The gastric belt as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising position-finding means ( 46 ) of the back ( 4 ) and/or of the work face ( 5 ) of the body ( 2 ). 
     
     
       25. The gastric belt as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising indication means ( 47 ) which indicates a direction of one or both of the free end ( 26 ) of the catheter ( 14 ) and the free end ( 16 ) of the body ( 2 ). 
     
     
       26. The gastric belt as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the distance (d 20 ) is less than 3 mm.